Let's say you like breed A and B both a lot. You could find a dog that would fit really nicely from either breed. But you really do like breed A better. It's your favorite breed.

However you cannot find a breeder in breed A that is your 'ideal'. There's varying things that just don't sit well with you ethically or they're not producing the right kind of dog for what you want. You can find good breeders but not your ideal. Breed B though, you have a lot more connections in and have the ability to find a really spectacular breeder. For the sake of the hypothetical situation you can find a breeder of breed B that is as close to your ideal as possible.

Which way would you choose? I guess the short version of the question is: is breed more important than breeder or breeder more important than breed?

Ok, so it's (very) loosely based on real life. I don't really think there's a right answer. But I was just curious what other people would think.

I'm looking for a dog. So for me, getting the right dog is the most important thing, and breed is secondary. If the breeders of the breed I prefer aren't producing the dogs I want to buy, I'd go to the second breed without much hesitation.

Even if I like the idea of a breed in general, the proof is in the pudding. You'll be living with a DOG, not a breed. A specific dog bred by a breeder, not an idea of a breed written in a standard. Even if the breeder is breeding toward that standard..there is no guarantee that standard is what you are getting.

Aussies weren't on my top 10 list of favorite breeds, let alone my top choice Lol I went through my favorite breeds first of course but like you, couldn't find a breeder that sat right with me.
Instead, found a breeder that produced dogs that I loved. I wasn't SOOO into aussies but I was SOOOOO into her dogs and breeding program. so that's what I chose

To me, breeder tops breed. Breeds are an idea. They vary too much with lines, specific dogs, breeding program, breeder, which standard etc..
Breeders and what that breeder is producing is much more steady.

In my dream fantasy world, there are plenty of breed standards that fit me PERFECTLY.
but in reality, there are only a handful of breeders breeding dogs that are perfect for me...with breeding programs striving for what I want health/temperament.

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Disclaimer: I work for Trupanion and love it/our policy! But I do not speak for the company or as the company.

I'm looking for a dog. So for me, getting the right dog is the most important thing, and breed is secondary. If the breeders of the breed I prefer aren't producing the dogs I want to buy, I'd go to the second breed without much hesitation.

^This.

Unless I'm looking to stay within a particular line, it's all about trying to find an individual who fulfills what I'm seeking. I'd rather get the right individual in a breed that otherwise doesn't fit me then the wrong individual from a breed that seems like a better fit. I'm living with that dog and with that breeder as my main resource concerning that dog, not with the breed as a whole.

I'm looking for a dog. So for me, getting the right dog is the most important thing, and breed is secondary. If the breeders of the breed I prefer aren't producing the dogs I want to buy, I'd go to the second breed without much hesitation.

I'm buying a dog, not the breeder... so the dog is more important. Realistically there is no breeder who is going to 100% fit my ideal, there's always going to be something that could be better. But if they are producing the kind of dog I want, then I have to weigh everything. There are certain things that I will NOT compromise on and other things I will. Everybody's list of what they will and won't compromise on is different though.

The dog is more important to me than the breeder. I will buy from a breeder that is producing the ideal dogs I'm looking for even if the breeder themselves doesn't hit all the points in my hypothetical check list.

I'm living with the dog, not the breeder so having the kind of dog I was looking for has way more weight than if the breeder is someone I like. Now, I do have my lines I won't cross even for my ideal dog but they are few and far between.

So I guess if that was the situation I'm in, the one you're describing, I would continue trying to find a breeder that was producing the kind of dogs I wanted in breed A rather than looking at the breeder themselves. To simplify I guess I'm saying dog and breed is more important to me than breeder.

It would really depend. One thing would be, how different the breeds were. For instance, I love my Staffords. They are so the right breed for me. There are other breeds I like and would consider. For instance, I could easily take the right toy Poodle home with me. But if I didn't have Staffords already, and was picking a dog, I would have to find a Stafford breeder I could "make do" with, a toy Poodle wouldn't really work.

OTOH, I also like sighthounds, and hope to have one of those someday. I have a strong preference towards the Deerhounds. I would love to have a Deerhound. But if I were choosing between a so-so Deerhound breeder, and a fabulous Borzoi breeder, I'd just get the Borzoi.

The right individual dog counts for a lot, though. I almost wound up with a Cavalier recently, which while they're a nice breed, it's not one I've ever wanted. At an agility trial, I encountered a pup bred by someone I know, and that CKCS puppy spoke to me very clearly. If I could afford another dog at this time, I would have taken her. I still don't want a CKCS, not even from that breeder, I just wanted that particular puppy.

Even if I like the idea of a breed in general, the proof is in the pudding. You'll be living with a DOG, not a breed. A specific dog bred by a breeder, not an idea of a breed written in a standard. Even if the breeder is breeding toward that standard..there is no guarantee that standard is what you are getting.

Aussies weren't on my top 10 list of favorite breeds, let alone my top choice Lol I went through my favorite breeds first of course but like you, couldn't find a breeder that sat right with me.
Instead, found a breeder that produced dogs that I loved. I wasn't SOOO into aussies but I was SOOOOO into her dogs and breeding program. so that's what I chose

To me, breeder tops breed. Breeds are an idea. They vary too much with lines, specific dogs, breeding program, breeder, which standard etc..
Breeders and what that breeder is producing is much more steady.

In my dream fantasy world, there are plenty of breed standards that fit me PERFECTLY.
but in reality, there are only a handful of breeders breeding dogs that are perfect for me...with breeding programs striving for what I want health/temperament.

That's pretty much where I am at the moment.

I have and will probably in the future buy from breeders that aren't my ideal as long as they are producing good dogs and aren't doing things that are an absolute no go for me. However, nowadays I need more from my dogs and want more specifics in them. So that changes things up a bit.

I should probably have added that I do intend on owning both breeds eventually.